News

All the latest news and views from the CPSU team

Friday Wrap: our week in review

Delegate training

THIS week it was great to have 11 Delegates take part in our level two training course ‘Delving Deeper into the Delegate Role’.

These workplace reps came from all corners of the public sector, their work helping Tasmanians in many ways, from Education, Parks & Wildlife, State Growth, WorkSafe, the Port Arthur Historic Site and Justice.

On Monday and Tuesday the training went through the Tasmanian Industrial landscape and the different tools to build better workplaces.

PSUWA in depth: Career paths, training and development

THIS week we look at the themes of career paths, training and development – why these are important and how they’re dealt with in your log of claims. Our Public Sector Unions Wages Agreement survey identified there were concerns about these issues, with almost 40% of Members surveyed saying that they felt that the public sector didn’t offer good opportunities for career progression.

The problems in brief

• Access to training is limited;

• Often Members become stuck at the top of their Band and can’t progress their careers;

• There’s no succession planning. More young people need to be brought into the aging public sector; and

“There’s no way to progress past a certain point in certain departments, as the agencies refuse to create salary progression processes. “

“We need support for effective succession planning because of our aging workforce.”

“I’ve been on Higher Duties Allowance for eight years but if I’m redeployed, I would drop to my substantive level. Where’s the recognition that you have reached a specific skill level and may have more to offer than a substantive level only after an extended time?“

“Opportunities for advancement for staff at lower bands are very limited.”

“We need to maintain and restore the professional expertise and capacity of the public sector. I’ve witnessed the ongoing ‘dumbing down’ of my department for decades, with many professional positions discarded and selection criteria of new positions being significantly downgraded.”

“We need adequate succession planning. There’s been a steady loss of corporate knowledge as older staff retire and this is due to become a flood in the near future. Because of this, there’s an urgent need to recruit younger, well educated people for training and gaining experience before this loss occurs.”

Meanwhile…

CPSU Organisers are continuing their visits with public sector members to talk about their Public Sector Wages Agreement. From Treasury to Biosecurity Tasmania, it’s been great to chat with Members to hear what’s happening in their workplace.

Defending your Award allowances

LAST week the Hodgman Government went to the Tasmanian Industrial Commission to argue against increases to your Award allowances, which normally flow on from the Fair Work Commission’s minimum wage decision (a 2.4% increase this year). Public Sector Unions were there to defend these allowance increases, which have been agreed to and implemented for the last six years.

CPSU’s Tom Lynch told the Mercury: “in today’s (Tuesday July 19) hearing no explanation was provided and the government did not explain what alternative model they wanted to put in place”.

The Hodgman Government argued that this was about its wages policy, which is news to us. Again, this is another change to the Hodgman Government’s “wages policy” – this is the first time we’ve heard allowances mentioned by the government. Given that the government’s wages policy seems to be central to everything they do these days perhaps it’s time they published it. The attitude of the Hodgman Government towards its staff who work every day to make our communities better is disappointing.

Allowances are amended each year to ensure they remain fair compensation – fair compensation for being a first aide officer, fair compensation for being available for recall, fair compensation for performing testing and tagging of electrical equipment etc.

The matter was adjourned and will return to the full bench of the TIC early next month. We’ll let you know where this ends up.

Sign the petition – support sacked Carlton& United Brewery staff

THE brewery behind some of the most iconic beers recently sacked staff before asking them reapply taking a huge pay cut. Last month Carlton and United Breweries sacked 54 staff in its maintenance crew in Melbourne. These staff, with decades of experience and knowledge were told they could then reapply for their jobs with a whopping 65% cut to their pay and conditions. Since this time staff have picketed outside the CUB brewery, wanting their jobs back without the huge cut in salary. Many of these workers have mortgages to pay and families to support. Meanwhile, CUB is bussing a temporary crew into the brewery to work in place of the stood-down staff. Many Australians have already got behind these sacked CUB employees, boycotting the brewery’s beer. You can see what beers and other beverages CUB manufactureshere.

You can help

Sign this petitionto reinstate the CUB workforce on full pay, and then encourage your friends and families to do the same.

Everyone deserves a fair go at work and reasonable compensation for the jobs they do every day.

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Should Will Hodgman Scrap the 2% wages cap and bargain in good faith without a predetermined outcome?